Beer Advocate: How Does It Work?

BeerAdvocate is a beer review website that has been running since 1996. It features forums, beer descriptions, ABV information, and user reviews. In 2020, BeerAdvocate was acquired by Next Glass, the parent company of the beer rating app Untappd. Both platforms continue to maintain their separate identities and user bases.

Beer Advocate's acquisition by Untappd

BeerAdvocate, the longest-running beer review website, has been acquired by Untappd, a mobile application for rating and reviewing beer. BeerAdvocate was launched in 1996 and has served as a hub for discussing craft beer. However, in recent years, they have struggled to keep the business running, with their print magazine slowing down from a monthly to quarterly schedule and eventually ceasing completely.

Untappd, on the other hand, is a younger platform that encourages a ticker culture and gamifies beer drinking. The app has over 8 million users and offers breweries advertising opportunities. The acquisition by Untappd will bring together the complementary strengths of both platforms. BeerAdvocate will benefit from Untappd's app-building expertise, while Untappd can tap into BeerAdvocate's successful event planning experience.

Despite the acquisition, both platforms will maintain their separate identities and user bases. BeerAdvocate's co-founder Todd Alström, who founded the website with his brother Jason Alström (together known as "The Bros"), assured users that BeerAdvocate's unique culture, identity, and community will be protected and cultivated. Next Glass president Trace Smith echoed this sentiment, stating that both platforms have developed important communities within the brewing industry and deserve good stewardship.

The acquisition of BeerAdvocate by Untappd's parent company, Next Glass, marks a shift in the beer review culture, with the old-school BeerAdvocate joining forces with the new-school Untappd.

Beer Advocate's history and founders

BeerAdvocate was founded in 1996 by Todd Alström, a self-described "beer geek". The website is a forum for beer enthusiasts to review beers, connect with other beer lovers, and learn about different types of beer.

The story of BeerAdvocate is deeply intertwined with that of Founders Brewing Company, a prominent craft brewery based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founders Brewing Company was also founded in 1996 by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, two homebrewing enthusiasts who had recently graduated from college. The company was originally called the John Pannell Brewing Company, but changed its name to Canal Street Brewing Co. in 1997, inspired by the historical name of the street where their brewery was located.

Founders Brewing Company quickly gained recognition for its complex, flavorful ales, and in the 2000s, it became one of the most prominent breweries in Michigan. The company expanded its market reach and production capacity, and by 2014, it was the 17th largest craft brewery in the United States.

In December 2014, Founders Brewing Company announced that the Spanish brewing company Mahou San Miguel had acquired a 30% minority stake in the business. This led to Founders no longer being designated as a "craft" brewery by the Brewers Association. In August 2019, Mahou San Miguel further increased its ownership to 90%, with Stevens and Engbers each retaining a 5% stake.

Founders Brewing Company has faced some challenges, including problems with beer labeling in certain states and a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a former employee in 2018. Despite these issues, the company continues to thrive and innovate, creating new beers and variants that quickly become fan favorites nationwide.

Beer Advocate's popularity and user base

BeerAdvocate, launched in 1996, is the longest-running beer review website. It was once the go-to resource for beer enthusiasts, but its popularity has declined in recent years with the rise of mobile apps such as Untappd, which provide a faster and more gamified way to review beers. BeerAdvocate struggled to keep up with the changing digital landscape and failed to launch a successful app, which further contributed to its decline.

In 2020, BeerAdvocate joined forces with Untappd under the Next Glass corporate umbrella, with both platforms maintaining their separate identities and user bases. This merger was seen as a way to combine the strengths of both platforms, with BeerAdvocate benefiting from Untappd's app-building expertise and Next Glass tapping into BeerAdvocate's successful event planning capabilities.

Despite the decline in its popularity, BeerAdvocate still has a dedicated user base that appreciates its detailed and lengthy reviews. Some users prefer BeerAdvocate for researching and discovering new beers, while using Untappd for tracking their personal drinking history and discovering local breweries. BeerAdvocate's forums also provide a space for beer enthusiasts to connect and discuss their passion for craft beer.

While the exact numbers of active users on BeerAdvocate are not publicly available, the platform still attracts a significant number of visitors and has a loyal following among veteran craft beer drinkers. The merger with Untappd may help revive its popularity and bring it to a wider audience, especially among younger beer enthusiasts.

Beer Advocate's features and functionality

Beer Advocate is a website that has been putting the beer into geeks since 1996. It is the longest-running beer review website in existence. It has forums and discussion boards where users can post pictures of their latest beer haul, discuss their opinions on different types of beers, and review different beers. It also has a section for finding a beer, where users can look up information about specific beers, such as descriptions and ABV.

The website also has a news section, where it publishes articles on a wide range of topics related to the beer industry, including interviews with founders of craft breweries, discussions on the changing beer landscape, and the latest news on beer releases and collaborations.

In addition to the website, Beer Advocate also organizes events and festivals, such as the Extreme Beer Festival, which showcase a wide variety of beers, ciders, meads, and kombuchas.

In 2024, Beer Advocate joined forces with the ultra-popular beer rating app Untappd, bringing together two complementary strengths. While Beer Advocate offers detailed reviews and successful event planning, Untappd provides expertise in app-building and a large user base that encourages check-ins and awards for beer-drinking quests.

Beer Advocate's reputation and public perception

BeerAdvocate is the longest-running beer review website, founded in 1996 by brothers Todd and Jason Alström, who affectionately refer to themselves as "The Bros". The website has a discussion forum, and users can post pictures of their latest beer haul, their pets with a beer, and their latest beer purchases.

BeerAdvocate has a reputation as the best beer review website, with detailed, lengthy reviews. However, it has struggled to keep up with the digital shift, with younger users opting for mobile apps that encourage faster, more gamified beer "check-ins". In 2020, BeerAdvocate joined forces with the ultra-popular beer rating app Untappd, which has been monumental for many beer consumers, awarding "badges" for beer-drinking quests.

BeerAdvocate's public perception is that of a well-respected, traditional, and detailed beer review website, with a loyal user base. However, it has had to adapt to the digital shift, joining forces with Untappd to stay relevant and reach a wider audience.

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